Berk @ Night
Pere Marquette #1225 poses on the former PM New Buffalo turntable at the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso. The photo shoot was put on for members of the Pere Marquette Historical Society, the 1225 was posed in a number of different spots around their property. The engine was dressed as it would've appeared late in life on the C&O: visored headlight, flying number boards, and large font letters and numbers. The white running boards have also been repainted black, though there is some debate among PM historians as to whether any of the 1200s actually had their white trim painted over, or if they just got so dirty that they appeared black. Since so few color photos of these engines in revenue service exist, it is difficult to say.
While very similar in appearance to the rest of the AMC Berkshires, the PM 1200s posses some unique characteristics that set them apart. Most notable are the jacketed smoke box and fire box, along with the boiler tube pilot. Unlike the Nickel Plate's Berks, the PM engines were equipped with plain bearings on all axles, the PM being far too frugal for roller bearings. The PM engines also used slightly larger cylinders than their NKP cousins, allowing them to make a bit more horsepower and tractive effort. While some PM 1200s were equipped with trailing truck booster engines, none of the N1 class (of which 1225 is member of) was.
The former New Buffalo turntable was brought to SRI in the early 2000s. As built, it was 90 feet long and was actually too small to turn the 1200s, requiring temporary extensions whenever one was turned. The table was permanently lengthened when it was installed in Owosso.
Berk @ Night
Pere Marquette #1225 poses on the former PM New Buffalo turntable at the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso. The photo shoot was put on for members of the Pere Marquette Historical Society, the 1225 was posed in a number of different spots around their property. The engine was dressed as it would've appeared late in life on the C&O: visored headlight, flying number boards, and large font letters and numbers. The white running boards have also been repainted black, though there is some debate among PM historians as to whether any of the 1200s actually had their white trim painted over, or if they just got so dirty that they appeared black. Since so few color photos of these engines in revenue service exist, it is difficult to say.
While very similar in appearance to the rest of the AMC Berkshires, the PM 1200s posses some unique characteristics that set them apart. Most notable are the jacketed smoke box and fire box, along with the boiler tube pilot. Unlike the Nickel Plate's Berks, the PM engines were equipped with plain bearings on all axles, the PM being far too frugal for roller bearings. The PM engines also used slightly larger cylinders than their NKP cousins, allowing them to make a bit more horsepower and tractive effort. While some PM 1200s were equipped with trailing truck booster engines, none of the N1 class (of which 1225 is member of) was.
The former New Buffalo turntable was brought to SRI in the early 2000s. As built, it was 90 feet long and was actually too small to turn the 1200s, requiring temporary extensions whenever one was turned. The table was permanently lengthened when it was installed in Owosso.